Significance The California Regional Primate Research Center routinely performs crown amputation with vital pulpotomy on maxillary canine teeth of adult male (_ 7 years of age) rhesus macaques in order to reduce self-trauma and injury to staff or cage-mates. The failure rate of this procedure is anecdotally high at the CRPRC. Objectives Crown amputation with pulpotomy will be compared to an alternative technique, which consists of amputating the crowns subgingivally and suturing a mucogingival flap over the root and exposed vital pulp. Results will be evaluated clinically and radiologically at three months and one year postoperatively. Results Crown amputation with pulpotomy on maxillary canine teeth was performed on 7 animals, and subgingival amputation on 13 animals. The preliminary results indicate an unacceptably high failure rate of the latter procedure, and this technique will not be used any further. Appropriate therapeutic measures were taken to treat the affected animals. No failures were noted thus far in the animals that underwent crown amputation with pulpotomy. Future Directions Long-term results of crown amputation with pulpotomy and refinement of this technique to minimize the failure rate. KEYWORDS crown amputation, pulpotomy, root retention